Collapsible building.



' G. FUGMAN.

GOLLAPSIBLE BUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1910.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

4 BHEET8SHBET 1.

G. FUGMA'N. COLLAPSIBLE BUILDING.

' APPLICATION FILED 311L132, 1910. 981,992, Patented Jan. 17,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I "wiwwim v W Azzy5- G. FUGMAN.

GOLLAISIBLE BUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.22, 1910.

G. FUGMAN'.

COLLAPSIBLE BUILDING.

APPLICATION FILED umzz, 1910.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

GODFREY FUGMAN, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO ANNA L: FUGMAK,

' 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COLLAPSIBLE BUILDING.

Application filed January 22,1910. Serial No. 539,456,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, G0DFREY FUGMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland Heights, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new'and useful Improvement in'Collapsible Buildings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

One of the objects of this invention 'is to provide a building in such form and of such construction that it may. be easily collapsed into a very small space for storage and easily returned to extended position.

Another object isto provide a suitable casing for the collapsed building.

'a central structure about which Another object is to provide such building with askeleton permanently secured to the parts may be collapsed.

Another object is to provide such building with a pit over which the extended building stands and in which the-parts of it may be lowered and stored when the buliding is collapsed.

. Another object is to combine the building and pit with a central hollow pole which may ventilate the pit and carry electric wires for the building, the building being adapted to be collapsed about'the pole.

The invention comprises themeans by which I attain the above objects,.or any of them, as well as other features contributing to the efficiency of my collapsible building, as will be hereinafter explained- My invention may be particularly well embodied in a voting booth, which, when in use, stands-adjacent to a city curb and overhangs" the roadway and the parking between the roadway and the sidewalk, and which, when not in use, is collapsed about acentral stationary pole into a pit beneath the building, the parts in such collapsed form being suitably i-ncased. This is the embodiment ofthe invention shown in the drawings and Which will now be more fully explained.

In the drawings,Figure lis a side elevation of my building in its extended form;

Fig. 2, a side elevation in the collapsed form; Fig. 3 is a vertical central section ofthe building extended;- Fig; 4;, is a similar view of the building collapsed; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective .view of the construction adjacent to the junction of the roof and the wall, the roof being elevated to displan of the building, takenbetween the floor.

and the roof; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through the pit near its upper end. I

In the form shown in the drawing, the building is round and stands over and cooperates with a round pit, though it is to. be understood that other shapes may be used if desired.

As shown in the drawings, 10 represents the wall of av pit in the ground located adjacent to the curb 11 and between it and the sidewalk 12. If preferable conditions exist, this pit is cut in the parking adjacent to the curb, a strip of parking 13 remaining between the pit and the sidewalk. The location of the pit, however, with reference to the curb and sidewalk depends on the local conditions. The pit preferably has a concrete wall 10, a water-proof-lining 15, of

Patented Jan. 1'7, 1911.

asphalt or other suitable material, and a end into the pedestal 19 which is suitably bolted to the bottom of the pit, as indicated. by the bolts 20. The central pole 1s braced near the upper end of the pit by brace bars 22 which are shown as bolted at their inner ends to a collar 23 surrounding the pole,

and at their outer ends to cared blocks 24 secured to the steel shell 16. Any or all of the brace bars 22 may be made .easily remov-' able by removing the bolts at their ends to allow greater access to the pit, where parts of the building are stored, as hereinafter ex lained.

ecured to thepole 18 at a point adjacent" I to the top of the pit is thefcollar 25 pro- .videdwith a series of radialnotches which are occupied by the inner ends of-floor beams 30 pivoted to the collar. These floor beams are adapted to stand horizontally, as shown in Fig. 3,. and rest intermediately on the upperend of the steel shell and wall of the plt, and thus constitute cantalivers carrylng the floor. On the other hand, when the building is to be collapsed, these floor beams are folded up into vertical positions about the pole, as shown in Fig. 4."

Secured to the central pole a suitable distance above the .fioor is a collar 26 to which are hinged roof beams or rafters 32. The v'ertical beams .or studs 34 are hinged at theirv upper ends to the roof beams, and at their lower ends are adapted to foot on the floor beamswhen the building is expanded, as shown in Fig. 3. When the building is collapsed, the roof beams 32 and the wall I beams 34 hang downvertically, the latter I most section 36 is adapted to stand over a 36 may beheld in their extended positions as shown in Figs, 2, 4 and 7 by suitable depending into the pit, asshown in Fig. 4. From the above description it Wlll be seen that the skeleton of my building, comprising what may be called the joists, rafters and studs, is adapted to either occupy the naturalpositions in a building or be folded about the central pole. When so folded, these parts are adapted to be inclosed by a telescoping tubular casing comprising a series of sheet metal rings 36 which extend from an annular cap or-cover member 38 upwardly into the cylindrical sheath 39 carried by a conical member 40 rigidly secured to the pole above the collar 26. Accordingly,

when the skeleton is collapsed and incased it givesthe appearance shown in Fig. 2.

' When the building is collapsed, the. cover plate 38 extends over the upper end of the pit and closes the same, and the various tubular sections 36 extend from this cover plate upwardly tov the sheath 39. The lowerflange 42 of the cover plate. The sections chains 43anchored to the conical member 40 and to the upper end of each section 36, or other means may be employed for this purpose, as will be well understood. When the building is-expanded, the cover plate 38 and all the various sections 36 are raised so that the sections stand within the. sleeve. '39, as shown in Fig. 3, and the cover 38 extends over the roof and forms a suitable cap. Forcl'earness of illustration, several plies of the chains 43 are omitted in Fig. 3,

and they are all-omitted in Fig. 4.

- When theskeleton of the building has been expanded, asdescribed, with the casing collapsed into the sheath 39, and the rafters,

studs and joists occupying their-natural positions, all that remains to complete the building is to insert panels for thefloor,

, wall -and roof. These panels may vary in construction, according to thestyle of'building desired. As shown, the floor panels are wood, the wall panels of corrugated metal,

and the roof: panels ofsubstantially flat ewes metal. The way by which these panels are held in place may also be variedas desired.

The form shown, however, possesses advantages and is included within in invention, though I do not wish to be lmnted thereto.

As shown in the drawings, the floor beams 30 are made of vertical strips reinforced near their upper edges by outwardly extendin angle beams 31 riveted to their opposite s1 es. The floor panels 45 are wooden members made in sector shape and lie between successive beams and rest on the horizontal I flanges of the angles 31, the'vertical edges of the panels abutting the vertical flanges of the angles, and the top surface of the panels being substantially flush with the top of theangles and the strips 30.

' Toprevent the flanges 31 of adjacen beams interfering with each other when the floor beams are folded, the pivots of the floor beams in the collar 25 may be staggered or alternately offset. This pivoting may con veniently be accomplished by making the pintles rigid with the fioor beams and making the-collar in two sections one above the other and mutually recessed to receive such trunnions. The collar sections-may be bolt ed together and to another collar 28 tightly clamped on the pole, or other securing means may be employed, as desired.

The rafters and the. vertical beams are To hold the wall panels in 7 place, pro-.

vide each upright member 34 with a strip 48 hinged totheuprightmember near its 110 lower, end, and, when in place, bolted to the upright near its upper end as by a bolt 49 passing through the strip 48 and the up-' 1 right between the adjacent rolled-over edges 47 of the panels. .Thisconstruction 7 enables the anels to be very easily put in place by -un olting and turning down the strips 48, after which the return of these .strips to their vertical position and the boltlng of their upper end holds the panels securely. The uprights 34 are suitably .se:

cured, when the building isexpanded, ;to

the ends of the-floor beams 30. As shownp this is accomplished by havin an opening made in the websof the channe s 34 through I which the ends of the'floor beams project, as shown at 50 in Fig. 6, the uprights being locked to the floor beams or to the floor, 1

as, for example, by sliding bolts (shown conventionally at 51- in Fig. 3) carried by the inner sides of the channels and adapted to engage holes formed in the floorbeams by cutting. notches in the upperedges of the vertical strips between the flanges ofthe angle beams 31. 1

The roof panels 5 2.areshown as fiat sec-. tor-shaped metal members having rolledover edges 53 .adaptedto occupy the channels of theroof beams 32. 'VVhen-these are in .place, their weight, together with the weight ofthe cap 38 and the surmounting casingsleeves 36, is sufficient to hold the roof members down .securely on the rafters, and their rolled-over edges in the channels prevent their-sliding outwardly. Some ofthe-wall panels maybe provided with suitable windows 5.5 carried by them, and inplace of a portion of one ofthe panels there may be asuitably hinged doorv .56,

as will be readilyunderstood.

readily understood 'that they may be similarly stored. The upper edge of the wall is preferably inclined, as shown, so that it isadapted to shed water. 7 The pit is thus I I ,kept dry when the buildingis stored, as

well as when it is expanded.

As heretofore referred to, my building is especially well adapted for-a voting booth. It hasv always been a'troubjlesome matter in .cities to store voting booths when not in use; the expense of the storage is great; the expense of haulingbetween the place of storage and the precinct of use is also great, and the wearand tear on the building, consequent both on its exposed condition during storage and on the haulage, is a third item greatly augmenting this expense. My invention does away entirely with the expense of boththe storageand the hauling and-saves the wear and tear consequent upon both.

My invention provides not only the permanent location for. the polling place, but, from its character, is a reminder to citizens of the location, even when collapsed.

' The number of the ward orprecinct may I conveniently be painted on the sheathing 39 and-thus be visible at all times.

Another advantage of my invention is that electrie wires may be permanently connected with supports on the pole, 'sothat -when the booth is expanded'there need be no delay in connecting telephones or electric heaters, for example. Furthermore, the pole furnishes means for carrying a permanent citylight, as the electric light indi-- cated at in Figs. 1 and 2. The pole, being hollow,-also furnishes a continuous venor expanded is neat in appearance, and it may be located where the city will be recollapsed means for collapsing the building partially :into and partially out of the pit and acasing tilation for the pit, there being openings 62 and 63 in the pole near its ends for this purpose. The base of the lamp frame may form a shedding crown over the openings 63. The pole may carry a suitable cross arm 64 7( for insulators for the wires. I Q I As-the structure is a permanent location, it maybe conveniently used for a police call or fire alarm call, or similar use. :In such case it is only necessary to provide one of the sleeves 36 with a suitable opcning in which may be mounted the call box. or a'door having a call box on it, or a pushbutton or other. arrangement, as .desired.

The dotted lines 66 on the-fourth sleevego y from the bottom in Fig. '2 are taken as indieating such door or call box.-

It will be seen that my booth when stored quired to pay no rental; that even when collapsed it is useful, and that it may be expanded and made ready for 'use' very quickly and with little labor.

lVith the'growing adoption of the referendum principle by States and cities, and the consequent increasing number of elections, the saving resulting to a cityby the employment'of my collapsible booth over the old method, is enormous.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

1. The combination with a pit, of a collapsible building'adapted when expanded to overhang the top' of the pit and when 001- lapsed to come entirely within the area of the pit with parts stored therein.

4 2. The combination with a suitable pit, of

a building adapted to stand over the p1t,and

for the part out of the pit and-acover for the portion of the pit unoccupied by the collapsed pit of the building.

3. The combination with a pit, of-a stationary pole rising. therefrom, a collapsible building surrounding the pole and adapted to be expanded over the pit or collapsed about the pole partly-into the pit, and a cover for the pit. V 11 5 4. The combination of ,a pit, a stationary pole permanently located substantially at the center thereof, and a collapsible building surroundingsaid pole and having frame members carried thereby.

5. In a collapsible building, the combination of 'acentral pole, and. members adapted to carry one of the'surfaces ofthe building, which members are mountedon and collapsible aboutsaid pole, and a pit'in which the 125 pole is secured and from which the; pole rises and in which such surface may .be stored.

6. In a collapsible'building, the combination of a stationary member, a skeletonframc pivotally connected with said member, panels .1

removably carried by theframe, and a pit located beneath such building and adapted to carry the panels when removed.

-7. The combination of. a pit, a pole'rising therefrom, a collapsible building surrounding said pole and having frame members carried thereby, said pole being footed on the bottom of the pit, and braces between the pole and the side walls of the'pit.

8. A building havinga floor, walls and,

roof removably carried, and having a collapsible skeleton frame pivotally carried, a

permanent central support for carrying the rame, and a pit from which the support rlses. v

9. A building having a floor, walls and roof removably carried, and having a skeleton frame collapsible about-a non-portable central support.

10. The combination, with a non-portablecenter support, of a skeleton frame collapsible thereabout, and surface members carried by said frame.

' 11. The combination, wlth a permanent center support, of a skeleton frame collapsible thereabout and comprising floor beams, roof beams and uprights, and surface mem- V bers carried by said fra'me'and comprising floor panels, roof panels and wall panels.

- 12.'The combination with a center pole, floor beams carried thereby and adapted to be folded into substantially vertical position alongside of the pole or folded into substantially horizontal position, and a removable floor panel adapted to rest on the floor beams? 13. The combination with a center pole, floor beams hinged thereto and'adapted to be folded upwardly into substantially vertical position around the-pole or folded down- .building of aft'elescoping casing therefor,

. is extende wardly into substantially horizontalposi-.

tion, and'removable floor panels adapted to rest on the floor beams.

14. The combination with a collapslble said casing being supported in its telescoped condition by he building when the buildlng and distended to incase the I building, when the latter is collapsed.

15. The combination, with a centrally collapsible building, of a casing therefor, consisting of a series of sleeves, and means for supporting said sleeves above the roof of the building when'expanded. 1

collapsed above the same, and a telescoping- 1s. Ina collapsible building, the combina-i tion of a non-portable center pole, frame members adapted to extend therefrom, or be casing for the frame members. g

I 17 In a collapsible building, the combination of a'stationary member, a skeleton frame pivotally connected with said member, panels removably'; earried by theframe, and. a telescoping casing for the folded frame.

. 18. In a collapsible building, the combin'a tion ofa center pole, frame members adapt-' ed to extend therefrom or be collapsed about 7 the same, a telescoping casing for the frame members, and a sheath for the telescoping casing carried by thepole.

19. The combination, with a central pole, of the frame members. ofa collapsible build ing pivotally carried by the pole, a telescoping casing for such frame members surroundingk -ithepole, and a tubular sheath carried .byt e pole above the roof of the building and. adapted to receive such telescoping casing-when condensed.

20. In a collapsible building, the combina tion of a permanently located tubular sheath, foldable frame members beneath the same, telescoping sections adapted to be elevated within said sheath, and a cap at the base of the lowest section, said cap and sections being.

adapted to be elevated to stand above the roof ofthe building.

21. T e combination ofa-collapsible bui-ldin a pit over which the extended building stands, said pit being adapted to receive portions of the building when collapsed, and a casing'for the collapsed portion notin the pit, said casing being telescoped and supported by the building when the building is extended.

22. The combination ofa stationary cen- 'tral pole, askeleton frame adapted to be collapsed about the pole, a pit from which the'pole rises, a casing for such frame when collapsed, and a cover for the pit.

23. The combination, of a central pole, a

skeleton frame pivoted thereto and adapted to be collapsed about the pole, a telescoping casing for such-frame when collapsed, and a pit from which the polerises,

1 '24. In a collapsible building, the combination of a permanently located tubular sheath, telescoping sections adapted to be elevated within said sheath, a'pit, acap at the base of the lowest section adapted to cover said pit, said cap and sections being.

adapted to be elevated to stand above, the. roof of a building over the pit.

25. The combination, of a central pole, a

skeleton frame'pivoted thereto and'adapted to be collapsed about the pole,-a telescoping casing for such frame when collapsed, a. sheathing permanently .carried by the pole into which the sections of the casing may be v collapsed, a pit surrounding the pole, and a sides to the upright beams.

rising'axially thereof, braces between the ing is adapted to overhang whenthe building is expanded and within the area of hinged to one of the sets of beams first men- ,nation of a central pole, a collar thereon,

28. The combination of a hollow pole, a collapsible building about the same, and a storage pit-beneath the building, the pole being footed on the base of the pit, and braces between the pole and the side of the pit, said pit being ventilated by said pole.

29. The combination of around storage i pit, a pole-footed on the base of the pit and pole and side wall of the pit and frame members for a collapsible building pivoted to said i pole above the pit.

30. 'lhecombination with a collapsible building, of a suitable pit therebeneath, a coverfor the pit supported by the building, and means for storing a portion of the building in the pit and permitting the cover to descend and close the pit.

31. The combination with a collapsible building, of a suitable pit which the buildwhich the building may collapse with a portion ofthe building stored within the pit.

32. The combination of a central pole, floor beams hinged thereto and adapted to fold upwardly about the pole, roof beams hinged thereto and adapted to fold downwardly about the pole, and uprightbeams tioned.

In a collapsible building, the combination of a central pole, roof beams pivot-- ally carried thereby, upright beams pivoted to the roof beams, and floor beams pivoted to the pole, the lower ends of the upright beams being adapted to connect with the outer ends of the floor beams.

34. The combination of a central pole, a collar thereon, floor beams hinged thereto and adapted to fold about the pole, a. second collar on the pole, roof beams hinged thereto and. adapted to fold about the pole, and uprights. adapted to cooperate with both beams. v I

35. In a collapsible building, the combiroof beams pivotally carried thereby, upright beams pivoted to the roof beams, a second collar'on the pole, and floor beams plvoted thereto, the lower ends of the upright beams being adapted to connect with I the outer ends of the floor beams.

36. In a collapsible building, the combination of a central pole, beams, hinged there-' to, uprights hinged to said beams,'paneled sides adapted to engage the upright beams, and upright strips for holding the paneled 37. In 'acollapsible building, the combination with a movable floor and roof, of a channel beam, astrip hinged thereto, a pair of adjacent panels having edges formed to extend into suchchannel and adapted to be held therein by the said strip.

38. In a collapsible building, the combinasecuring said strip to the web of the channel. v

I 39., In a collapsible building, the combination with a movable floor, ofa channel member, a pair-of removable panels having edges adapted to occupy the channel, and a strip hinged to the channel and adapted to overlie said edges and confine the same within the channe 40. In a collapsible building, the combination with movable Wall beams of roof beams in the form of upwardly facing channels'hinged thereto, said beams radiating from a common center, and sector-shaped roof panels having edges adapted to occupy such channels.

41. In a collapsible building, the combina tion with removable side panels of roof beams in the form of upwardly facingchannels hinged thereto, said beams radiating from a common center, sector-shaped roof panels having edges adapted to occupy such channels, and an annular cap adapted to rest on the panels.

42. In a collapsible building, the combina-' 9 tion of a central pole, roof beams pivotally carried thereby and radiating therefrom, and a movable annularcap adapted to surround the pole and rest on the roof beams when the building is expanded and move downwardly over such beams when 001- lapsed.

43. The combination, in a building, of a central pole, pivoted floor beams radiating therefrom, and sector-shaped floor panels adapted to cooperate with consecutive beams.

44. In a collapsible building, the combination with a removable side wall, of floor beams radiating from a common center and having flanges projecting on opposite sides, and sector-shaped floorv panels adapted to stand between consecutive beams and rest on said flanges.

45. In a collapsible building, the combination, with a stationary central pole and acollapsible frame pivotally supported thereon, of removable parallel-sided wall panels,

central pole, a skeleton frame pivoted thereto, and a telescopic case adapted to cover the frame when collapsed.

'47. As a new article, at permanently located collapsible voting booth combined with a pit in the ground between the curb and sidewalk over which sucli booth stands when expanded andin which parts of it may be stored when collapsed, the depth of the pit ing carried by the roof ofthe building when" being substantially equal to the height of expanded and surrounding portions of it not the building when expanded, and a cover stored. in .th'epit when the building is colfor the pit. lapsed.

' 5,. 48. As a new article, a permanently lov In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my 15 I cated collapsible voting booth combined with signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. a pit in the ground between the curb and H GODFREY FUGMAN. sidewalk over which such booth stands when Witnesses: i expanded and in, which arts of it may, be JAs. ONEAL, I 10 stored when colla'psed,- an a telescoping cas- BRENNAN B. Wns'r. 

